Internal-combustion engine.



E. J. HALL.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. I916.

1,2993% V Patent-ed. Apr. 8,1919.

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ELBER'I' J. HALL, OF BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA.

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGINE.

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To all whom it may concern zen of the United States, and a resident of Berkeley, county of Alameda, State of California, have invented a new and useful Internal-Combustion Engine, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines and particularly to internal combustion engines for the propulsion of automobiles and aerial vehicles.

An object of my invention is to provide an internal combustion engine in which tensional stresses resulting from the explosions in the cylinder are borne by suitably disposed tension rods.

Another object of my invention is to pro-. vide a means for relieving the cylinder and crank case walls of an internal combustion engine, of the thrust stresses of the piston upon the crank.

The invention possesses other features of advantage, which, with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following description of the preferred form of my invention which is illustrated in the drawings accompanying and forming part of the specifications. It is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the showing made by the said drawings and description as I may adopt variations of the preferred form within the scope of my invention as set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an end elevation partly in section of the internal combustion engine of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view of one of the tension rods.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation partly in section showing a modification of my invention.

Lightness of construction is of great importance in internal combustion engines and especially is this true of those engines which are used for the propulsion of aerial vehicles. It is therefore one of the objects of the present invention to provide means for hearing the stresses of. the explosion of fuel in the cylinders and the resultant thrust of the piston upon the crank shaft bearings so that the cylinder walls and crank case walls ma be made very light as compared with the welght of these parts hitherto found necessary.

Cylinders 2 are mounted upon the upper portion of the crank case 3, the lower por-v tion of which 3 is detachable. Both crank case and cylinder walls may be of very light construction, and as many cylinders as de- Specification of Letters Patent.

' are therethrough, and the lips 14 on thebearing Patented Apr. 8, 1919 Application filed March 14, 1916. Serial No. 84,052.

sired may be arranged either vertically Be it known that I, ELBERT J. HALL, a citiabove the crank case as shown in Fig. 1 or at the usual angle when the engine is of the V type, as shown in Fig. 3.

A crank shaft bearing comprising a portion 4 and a cap 5 is arranged in the crank case. Preferably the capo is on the side of the bearing remotev from the cylinder. The bearing 4 is preferably formed integral with the upper portion 3 of the crank case and is supported therein by longitudinal webs 6 and transverse webs 7. The inner edges of the transverse webs 7 are thickened to form bosses 8 lyingbetween the lips 9 of the hearing 4 and the upper wall 12 of the crank case. The webs 7 are proportioned and disposed so that the bosses 8 are in alinement with lugs 13 which are formed preferably integrally with the head end 2* of the cylinder 2. The, bosses 8 together with the contiguous portions of the crank case and bearing lip provided with an aperture extending cap 5 are also provided with apertures registering with the apertures in the lugs.

Tension rods 15 are provided which are preferably threaded at both ends; and at a point intermediate the ends, a shoulder 16 is formed and a thickened portion 17 adjacent the shoulder 16 is also threaded. The tension rods are adapted to be inserted in the hollow bosses 8, in each of which the upper portion of the aperture is threaded to engage the threaded portion 17 of the rod, the shoulder 16 thus seating on the top of the crank case. The rod is of such length that the upper end projects through the lugs 13 on the head end of the cylinder and the lower end projects through the lips 14 of the bearing cap 5. A nut 18 is threaded upon the upper end of the rod to place the rod in tension upward from its point of attachment to the crank case, thus securing the cylinder 2 firmly upon its seat on the crank case- A nut 19 is threaded upon the lower end of the rod to place the lower portion in tension, thus securing the bearing cap 5 inplace and in conjunction with the boss 8, tying the bearing 45 rigidly to the upper por-' tion of the crank case and also to the upper portion of the cylinder. The function of the boss, then, includes that of taking the stress of compression when the lower portion of the rod below the collar is put under tension, so that displacement of the bearing l5 or deformation of the crank case will not result. It will also be clear that since the rods 15 extend from the head end of the cylinder to the far end of the bearing 45,

- the stresses caused by the explosion and the resultant thrust on the bearings are borne by the rods. These stresses tend to separate the cylinder and the bearings and to cause tensional strains in the walls of the .cylinder and distortion of the crank case. By disposing tension rods substantially as herein described, it is unnecessary to design the integral portions of the cylinder and crank case to withstand such stresses and these parts may consequently be made light in a degree hitherto found impossible.

In Fig. 3 is shown a Vtype engine. In this construction, the bearing 4 is formed separately from the case; and the webs 7 and bosses 8 somewhat difl'erently disposed. Preferably the base 22 of the web is widened a small amount to provide ,a' seat for the bearing block. The tension rods 15 pass through the bosses 8 and terminate in the bearing 4, the cap 5 being secured by studs 23 or cap screws in the usual manner. Since the cap in this construction may be removed without disturbing the adjustment of the tension rods, the latter are not threaded into the crank case as in the construction previously explained; A shoulder 16 on the tension rod positions the rod in the case and the lower portion of the rods between the shoulder and the bearing is placed under tension to retain the bearing 4 securely on its seatin the case. Bolts 24 between the case and the bearing are preferably used as additional means for attaining "the desired rigidity between the parts. i

I claim:

1. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a cylinder mounted on said crank case, a crank shaft bearing arranged in said crank case, a boss lying between said bearing and the wall of said crank case, a rod having rigid connection intermediate its ends with the metal of said crank case and passing through said boss to the far side of said bearing and extending to the head end of said cylinder, and means on each end of said rod for placing in tension the portion lying between that end and the point of attachment to said crank case.

2. In an internal combustion engine, a crank case, a' cylinder mounted on said crank case and provided with lugs on its head, a crank shaft bearing in said crank case, bosses integral with and lying between said bearing and crank case wall, a cap for said bearing, rods rigidly attached to the metal of said crank case in said bosses and extending from said cylinder head lugs to said cap, and means on the ends of said rod for putting it in tension.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco, California, this 9th day of March, 1916.

- ELBERT J. HALL.

In presence of H. G. PROST, C. S. EVANS. 

